The Broward County Sheriff's deputy who was assigned to be the school resource officer at Stoneman Douglas High School during last week's massacre that left 17 dead resigned this morning after being suspended without pay, Sheriff Scott Israel announced on Thursday.
Israel said that Deputy Scot Peterson was outside of the building during the time of the shooting. According to Israel, video evidence suggested that Peterson remained outside for four minutes. The entire mass shooting lasted an estimated six minutes, Israel said.
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"Scott Peterson was absolutely on campus through this entire event," Israel said. "He was armed, he was in uniform. After seeing video, witness statements, and Scott Peterson's very own statement, I decided this morning to suspend Scott Peterson without pay pending an internal investigation. As is his right, Scott Peterson chose to resign."
Israel claimed that Peterson "clearly" knew there was a shooting, and was seen doing "nothing" on video. Israel added that there were no known issues with communication.
Peterson will be eligible for retirement following his resignation.
Justin Boggs is a writer for the E.W. Scripps National Desk.Follow him on Twitter @jjboggs or on Facebook.
